Guardian Angel
by Captain of L'Emeraude
Summary: His cloak billows around him as he crouches on the edge of the roof. He sits, watching the grounds below him, with the stillness of the gargoyles that are his only companions at this time of night. Dramione. DISCONTINUED.
1. Rescue

**Title: **Guardian Angel**  
Penname: **Captain of L'Emeraude

**Summary: **His cloak billows around him as he crouches on the edge of the roof. He sits, watching the grounds below him, with the stillness of the gargoyles that are his only companions at this time of night. ONESHOT

**Disclaimer: **I wish I owned HP but alas I do not. Woe is me.

**Guardian Angel**

He loves climbing out onto the roof at night. His cloak billows around him as he crouches on the edge of the roof. He sits, watching the grounds below him, with the stillness of the gargoyles that are his only companions at this time of night. With his charmed senses he can hear the squirrels settling in to sleep and see the squid floating in the lake looking for a midnight snack.

He is pulled out of the daze by a sound and he immediately snaps his head around, looking for the source of the shriek. "Ow! No! Get away from me!" He hears a low voice chuckle "C'mon. We just want a little fun." The voices send shivers of rage down his spine. He recognizes both of them. He grabs his wand and leaps.

Seconds before he hits the ground he mutters a charm and then he is still falling, but now he's horizontal and headed straight towards the girl and her attacker. "No… Stop!" Her cries make his blood burn and he uses every ounce of magic he has to go faster.

He stops silently just behind the hulking frame of his supposed friend and charms his fingernails so they're as sharp as claws and grabs the back of his neck. The large man freezes. In the coldest voice he can muster he threatens the assailant "If you so much as touch her, I will tear you apart with my bare hands. Do you understand?"

Crabbe nods his head slightly and runs off as soon as his neck is released. The rescuer turns back to the girl. "Are you OK Hermione? Did he hurt you?" She stays frozen, her eyes filled with shock, and her knight in shining armor wonders if it is left over from the attack or if it is shock at who rescued her.

"Mal-Malfoy?" He nods "Sorry to disappoint you, Granger, but The Boy Who Lived to Make Wrongdoers Lives Living Hell is asleep right now so I'm filling in." Her confused stare transforms into one of understanding after a few moments and then something resembling determination. She lifts her head to look at him and smiles. "In that case…

She doesn't finish her sentence. After all, it is very difficult to talk when you're thanking someone by snogging the life out of him. Malfoy is astonished for a moment and then does what he has wanted to do for years. He kisses her back.

After what seems like a lifetime, Hermione leans away from him, breaking the kiss. "Thank you for saving me, Draco." She smiles shyly and starts to walk away. "Wait!" She turns around and walks back to him. He hugs her tightly and whispers in her ear "I will always be there to rescue you."

He breaks away and she turns around and walks off. He leaps up with a charm on his lips and, landing back on the roof, watches her walk to the castle entrance. Halfway though the door, she turns and looks up to the roof where he is watching, "You're my guardian angel" she smiles and walks into the castle and out of his sight.

But not for long…

**I'm in the process of thinking up a sequel. Hopefully you liked this story though… Maybe you liked it enough to review? Please? Flames and constructive criticism are welcome too…**


	2. Sweet Dreams

Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams

"Hey, Hermione! Do you want to help me with my potions essay? I'm really lost." Harry snickers "Yeah, right, Ron. You haven't even looked at that essay! You just want her to do it for you." Ron turns to Harry and frowns "You haven't started yours either, mate!"

They both look back to Hermione and Harry starts to ask her "Hey, Hermione, could you help me with my-" He stops, shocked by her tear-filled and glaring eyes "Hermione? Are you ok?"

She sniffs and glares down at them, an impressive feat since both boys are quite a few inches taller than her. The boys are instantly reminded of Professor McGonagall as she tightens her lips in a frown.

"No. Ron, Harry, you two can do your own essays. You left it until this late so you can face the consequences of handing in shoddy, last-minute essays to Professor Snape." The boys' jaws drop to the floor. "Hermione! We're your friends! You can't just betray us like this." Ron gasps incredulously as Harry stands shocked.

Hermione becomes livid "Betrayal?! You call _me_ refusing to do _your_ homework a _betrayal_?! Look at you Ron! If you don't know what a betrayal is, why don't you look at how you treat your supposed friends!"

She starts to stomp off when she hears Ron mutter "What got her knickers into a twist?" and Harry responds "Buggered if I know." Tears start silently making their way down her cheeks and a small gasp of pain escapes her lips.

Suddenly she hears a window open and the graceful sound of robes swishing on the floor. Harry and Ron hear it too, apparently, because they turn to the sound and grab their wands. "Hello Ferret." Harry growls. Hermione spins around to see the three boys, wands out, shaking with rage.

Draco's cool voice fills the corridor "You two are so dull it makes my house elves sound like Oxford graduates. Do you really not know?" Hermione frowns at the house elf comment and tilts her head in confusion at the mention of Oxford; a very esteemed muggle college.

Harry and Ron glare at the Slytherin "We happen to know a lot more than you do, Ferret, but go ahead, enlighten us. What don't we know?" He smirks at them without letting the hate leave his eyes.

"You two buffoons don't know that the way you treat her hurts her more than any spell, jinx or curse could. You use her and abuse her and it is slowly killing her spirit." The two Gryffindor boys splutter furiously "You!- liar!" "What would you know about friendship?" "Like you would notice-"

Draco just shrugs the comments off and climbs back out the window. The boys look back at Hermione with a mix of disbelief and wonder. "Do we really do that Hermione?" "We don't use you, do we?"

When she doesn't answer they walk towards her and she turns her back on them "We can talk about this in the morning, ok boys? I just really need to be alone for a little bit…" They mumble agreements and shuffle in the direction of the common rooms.

"We'll never get our essays done now, Harry." Hermione sees them pass around the corner and hears one last mutter before they're out of hearing range "Bloody Malfoy." She sighs and walks over to look out the window.

Leaning out into the open air, the breeze dries the last of her tears. "Thank you." She whispers, knowing he probably can't hear her anyway but as she closes the window she swears she hears a voice on the wind.

"If your Guardian Angel doesn't look out for you, who will?" a chuckle "Goodnight and sweet dreams."


	3. Mass Chaos

**OK. Sorry to all of you who read my first Ch 3. I don't know about you, but I thought it was horrendous. This is the real Ch 3. Please read and review! (And don't hate me!)**

**I know the first two chapters are in present tense, but my semi-beta/best friend suggested that I write in past tense for a while because, according to her, it 'reads easier'. I'm not really sure on the issue so let me know what you think.

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**Mass Chaos**

Hermione burst into class, three minutes late. "I am so sorry Professor!" Professor Binns just nodded and waited for her to sit down before continuing his lecture. Just moments later, a very out-of-breath Draco Malfoy barged in and the professor glared. "Late, Mister Malfoy. Ten points from Slytherin and you shall see me after class to schedule a detention for this evening."

Next to Hermione, Harry and Ron grinned and nudged her. Much to their surprise, she didn't join in on the joy of seeing Malfoy punished. Instead, she stood up, and indignant look on her face. "Excuse me, Professor? Malfoy walked in only a few seconds after I did. Surely if I was not punished he shouldn't be either."

Everyone in the class, including Malfoy and Professor Binns, looked at her in shock. Harry, being closest, muttered "What are you doing? Why are you defending Malfoy?" She just glared at him and gazed expectantly at the professor. "Well, um, I guess… then, that is, yes. You are right Miss Granger. You shall be joining Mister Malfoy in detention this evening, and ten points from Gryffindor."

The members of her house turn to glare at her. "Thanks a lot Hermione." "Shut up, Ron!" She hisses at him before ducking behind her hair to take notes and hide the secret grin from her dumbstruck classmates. The loss of points was regrettable, but she had finally done something for Malfoy, instead of the other way around. And she gets to see him tonight.

The rest of the class went by uneventfully, as did the next class. At lunch, Harry and Ron were still confused about her defending Malfoy and to avoid their constant inquiries after her mental health, she ate quickly and left. Her next class was potions so she decided to just go a little early. Maybe she could get a head start on the day's assignment.

Hermione opened the door to the classroom and stopped short. Inside there were five Slytherins. They looked up to glare at her with vicious hate and she froze for a second before silently scolding herself for letting them get to her and walking briskly over to the Gryffyndor side of the room.

She set her books down on a desk and was about to sit down when she heard a mutter and all her books went shooting across the room. Not letting them see her upset, she quickly gathered her books up and began to sit down at another desk. Hermione fell over backwards when someone magically pulled the chair out from under her.

Fighting back tears, she picked herself up and straightened out her robes before glaring at her five tormentors. "Fithy little mudbood." The cruel mutter was the last straw. She grabbed her book bag and ran to the door where she hit something not quite as solid as a wall. She felt arms go around her and she knew that her rescuer had come to save her again. She breathed a sigh of relief "Thank you."

His only response was to walk her to the back of the classroom, where a desk was strategically placed in the exact middle of the classroom. He sat on the Slytherin side, she sat on the Gryffyndor side, and they both ignored the gasps of shock as more Slytherins started filling the room.

He squeezed her hand under the table and stood up, glaring at his housemates. "Slytherin Common Room. Midnight." All the Slytherins nodded and immediately shut up as Gryffindors started entering the room. "What the-?" "Hermione?" They both ignored everyone and waited for Snape to start the class.

"Get out your books, page two hundred and five. Today we will be- Mister Malfoy. Miss Granger. Please sit on the correct sides of the room." Hermione raised her hand "What, Miss Granger?" he queried, sounding more than a little exasperated. "Technically, Professor, we are on the correct sides. This desk sits on the center of the room."

Before Snape could argue, Draco continued; "You can even measure it, Professor. We aren't breaking any rules or codes. Just social expectations." The potions master scowled before continuing his lesson, which, conveniently, was very difficult so the students didn't have time to wonder at the strange couple at the back of class.

Once class ended, Draco stood up and helped Hermione with her books. "You can come to the Slytherin meeting too. It does concern you, really. The password is 'Toaster'." He walked away before she could protest or ask him why the Slytherin password was a muggle product.

She ignored all the strange looks and whispers that followed her for the rest of the day, counting down the hours until midnight. She made pro/con lists on why she should or shouldn't go to the meeting and found so many more cons than pros it was overwhelming. She kept telling herself that it would be better if she didn't go.

However, Hermione knew that at twelve o-clock that evening, she would be whispering "toaster" and walking into a room filled with enemies. She would do it because she hoped that one person there was no longer an enemy. She hoped it with all her heart.

Detention with Draco and a midnight rendezvous with the seventh year Slytherins. This would be an interesting evening.

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**Don't you love the cliffy::insert maniacal giggle/laugh here:: Please review! **


	4. Torn

**Hey all, sorry this took so long. I had some major projects and then I was grounded due to my below satisfactory grades. Thanks for waiting. I promise the next chapter will be up soon!**

**This Chappie is devoted to my #1 fan: WinnieThaPoo92. You're awesome.**

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"How could I have been so bloody stupid?" Hermione paced on the cold dungeon floor and cursed again when she tripped on the hem of her "borrowed" invisibility cloak. She stopped and held her breath as two more Slytherins walked past into the Common Room. She leaned up against the wall and slid to the floor, allowing herself to look back at her idiocy earlier that evening during detention.

"_Well, this is going to be enjoyable." Draco snorted as he looked at the task put before them. "Yeah, joyous fun." He stripped off his robes "No sense in getting these dirty. I paid good money for them." Now it was Hermione's turn to snort. "You mean your father paid for them with bad money." Now he was actually laughing. Hermione frowned and a wrinkle formed on her brow._

"_What's so funny?" Draco shook his head "I've been paying for my own clothing since I was old enough to work." Hermione started to ask another question, but the look his face stopped her. Instead, she asked about something neutral "Why do you think it's so warm down here? The dungeons are usually freezing." Draco scanned the entire room "I'm guessing it's the mushrooms. They seem to be giving off heat." "Oh. That's probably it."_

_An awkward silence followed. Then, as if by silent agreement, they started tearing the fungi off the walls and dropping them in the buckets they were provided with. The heat seemed to be increasing and soon Hermione had to remove her robes as well. They continued working but the silence became companionable and soon the two were talking and joking with each other like normal._

_They were about halfway done when Draco muttered something and started unbuttoning his shirt. Hermione kept on working, trying not to look at what she was sure was an extremely attractive half naked body just across the room from her. She bit her lip and continued to work. When her bucket was full, she picked it up to put it with the others. When she turned, the sound of the bucket clanging to the floor covered her gasp of shock at the sight before her._

_The Slytherin's shoulders slumped but he continued to work. All Hermione could do was stare at the scars and welts covering his back. Finally, she gulped and walked up to him. "Draco," She placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, "Who did this?" He continued to rip the mushrooms off the wall, if a bit more vigorously than necessary. "Who do you think." She stepped back at the viciousness in his tone._

"_You should go to Dumbledore! He could help! I could help! You shouldn't have to go through this!" He whirled around to face her. "Your precious Dumbledore can't do everything and even if he could, why the bloody hell would he do anything!?" Faced with all that anger, she could only do one thing, be angry in defense. "You're a student Draco! Dumbledore will protect you! And if you don't want him to do anything, at least let me help!" "BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T DO!"_

_He turned back to the wall, shoulders heaving, and started to work again. Hermione just stood there in shock. After what seemed like hours, she went back to her side of the room. The rest of detention could not have gone by fast enough, but a time later, the end finally came. As they walked out the door, Draco muttered "You're still welcome to come tonight." and then he was gone._

Now it was ten minutes to midnight and Hermione was still debating on whether or not to go in. She sat up against the wall as she thought. Tearing her mind to pieces with all the reasons she should and shouldn't go into a room full of enemies. She fiddled with her hair and checked her watch so often that she thought it might not be working correctly. Seven minutes. Hermione stood up, determined to go back to the Gryffyndor Common Room.

Five minutes until midnight. Hermione had taken one step forwards and two steps back towards the Slytherin Common Room entrance. Three minutes. She bit all her fingernails until they were practically gone. Two minutes. "I have to do _something_." At one minute to midnight she followed the last batch of Slytherins into the room and entered unknown, and very dangerous, territory.


	5. The Dark Side

**Hey all! I'm sorry this took so long... I could make up a list of excuses for why this is so late but the truth is that I'm just really lazy and a procrastinator to boot. Well, better late than never! I hope you like it!**

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**Chapter 5: The "Dark Side"**

Hermione pulled the edges of the invisibility cloak as close to her as she could without constricting her breathing and weaved through the mass of Slytherins to the back of the room. She scanned the crowd, looking for that unmistakably blonde hair. She wasn't even sure why she was looking for him. He was mad at her. And he was right in front of her. Shoot.

She pressed herself all the way to the back of the wall but she was sure his leg brushed against her anyway. She concentrated on not breathing. He smirked over his shoulder at her and then turned to face the rest of his housemates. Wait, he couldn't have smirked at her! He didn't know she was there, did he? Hermione's thoughts raced as she tried to hyperventilate quietly. What she had thought was going to be the back of the crowd was actually front and center.

Her most evil tormentors were all staring straight at her. No, at Malfoy, who could hurt her more than anyone else. Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she thought everyone in the room must have been able to hear it, but no one pointed. No one cried out. Still the paranoia stayed. Suddenly, a hush fell and Hermione frantically checked to make sure no body parts were sticking out from the cloak. Then she realized that Draco was holding his hands out, calling the attention of everyone in the dungeon. He started to speak.

Hours later: "…we need to let them all know that we are individuals! We have thoughts, we have opinions, we have dreams, we have goals! We are not clones! Let's show them what we're made of!" The end of his speech was met with awed silence. Then one person started clapping, then more followed. Cheers and whistles echoed in the common room and Hermione just sat there, flabbergasted. Draco Malfoy had just convinced all the 6th and 7th year Slytherins to switch to the side of the Light.

People began talking in smaller groups as they walked back to their dormitories. Soon, Draco and Hermione were the only two people left in the room. He slouched back on one of the room's comfier looking black couches and threw his feet up on the low table in front of it. "So," he said with a satisfied smirk "How did you like my speech, Hermione?" She squeaked and somehow managed to trip even though she wasn't walking.

Once she had regained her composure, she lowered the hood of her cloak. "Actually, I loved it. It was inspiring. You could convince Voldemort to switch sides with that speech! I mean, you already persuaded your peers." He frowned. "I tried talking to my father about it. That's how I got the scars on my back." They were both quiet for a while. "I'm sorry about yelling at you. I didn't mean it. You were just trying to help."

She smiled "I already forgave you. As soon as you started tonight I wiped your slate clean, for the fourth time in my life. I can't seem to stay mad at you." He looked startled when she said 'fourth time'. "Just curious, but when were all those times?" She smiled uncertainly. "Well, the first was when you ratted on Harry being out after hours when he had that dragon, Norbert." He jumped up in excitement. "I knew it! There _was_ a dragon! Ha!" He punched a fist into the air and Hermione couldn't hold in her giggle at his exuberance.

"The second time was a few days after Buckbeak bit you. I knew you were being an ass about it and I was furious. Then I saw you use the sling to carry bits of food to some baby owls whose mother had died." She looked down at her lap to hide her suddenly unreasonably red cheeks only to realize that her lap wasn't there. She remembered the cloak and hastily took it off.

"The third time was at the end of fourth year. I decided it would be my last time forgiving you because I wouldn't get mad at you any more. I decided that it wasn't your fault." He sat back down, perplexed. "What wasn't my fault?" "Everything. It's not your fault that you were raised the way you were. It isn't your fault that you grew up in a society of hate. It's not your fault."

She stood up and laughed "I just can't manage to stay mad at you! It's infuriating! But now that I've seen you speak, I can understand why everyone does what you say. I wanted to be on Voldemort's side just so I could come back to our side." He nodded his head in appreciation. "Thanks for your vote of support in my public speaking abilities, but for most of them I was just giving them a justifiable reason for doing what they already wanted to do." Hermione tilted her head, silently asking the question.

"Most of them already questioned their actions and motives; they were just afraid of ridicule so they never said anything. I guess you could say they were in the closet. I just gave them a reason to come out." He smiled genuinely. His smile never ceased to amaze Hermione, no matter how many times she imagined or remembered it; the real thing was always a fresh wave of joy mingled with the hope that he was smiling for her.

"You helped convince me to do this" He waved his hand at the empty room "You helped me realize that we could do… whatever it is we do together, together." His forehead scrunched up as he tried to describe the strange relationship they had. Hermione smiled at the way he awkwardly ended his sentence. Unlike Ron's stupidity, Draco's struggle with his wording was endearing.

"I helped you? But you were the one to save me. Twice." He smiled and shook his head. "Think about those two times, what do they have in common? We're almost alone, and the people there would never mention it." Hermione thought about it and agreed. "Harry and Ron would never tell anyone in case people took your side." He laughed out loud. "What's so funny?" He grinned "Can you imagine their reactions once they find out that I'm the reason your, our side is going to win the war?"

They laughed together, celebrating because victory was definite now that all the soon to be Death Eaters, already trained in Legilimency and Occlumency, would be spies. They would be privy to what happened at meetings, as well as Death Eaters' home lives, at least during the holidays. Draco and Hermione discussed these fabulous opportunities and many other things throughout the night before they decided to talk to Dumbledore in the morning.

Before Hermione could even think of putting on her cloak and going back to her dorm, she fell asleep. Draco smiled and covered her with the cloak before arranging himself on the couch so no one would accidentally sit on her for fear of sitting on him and waking him. Once comfortable, he closed his eyes and gave in to the fatigue that often comes after the excitement of success.

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**Reviews are appreciated and constructive criticism is welcome! Chocolate fudge brownies and/or Oreo pie to all who review!!**


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